Most smartphone data sessions are started without the user noticing, according to a new report from mobile network analytics and optimisation specialists Actix. It’s studied information from eight network operators across four continents and has found that only 30% of data sessions are user initiated.
This also means that 80% of failed data connections go unnoticed.
Neil Coleman, Director of Marketing at Actix, said “Smartphones make between 3-10 data connections per hour and even though 60-70% of these are less than 50 Kbytes in size they can put a real strain on the network. Whilst working with one major UK operator we spotted a significant number of dropped data sessions right by the entrance to a tube station. This wasn’t the case of subscribers receiving poor browsing or video performance; it was simply that background updates failed as subscribers entered the station.”
Actix warns that constant polling for email and social media updates is causing problems for network operators who are under pressure to provide capacity in areas where subscribers are not intentionally using their mobile devices.
[Summary report: The State of the RAN (pdf)]